Features: Scottish Clan Early Genealogy - Clan Lamont

Motto: Ne Parcas nec Spernas (Neither spare nor despise)
Historic Seat: Toward Castle
District: Argyll
Associated Surnames: Black, Blake, Brown, Burdon, Clement, Lamb, Lambie, Lammond, Lamondson, Landers, Lemond, Limond, Lucas, Luke, MacAlduie, MacClymont, MacGilledon, MacGillegowie, Macilwhom, Macilzegowie, MacLamond, MacLucas, MacLymont, MacPatrick, MacPhorich, Meikleham, Munn, Patrick, Toward, Towart, Turner, White, Whyte
Associated Tartans:

Early Lamont Genealogy and History:
(Excerpt from "The Scottish Clans and Their Tartans", James Grant, 1906)

At Ardlamond, a headland between the Kyles of Bute and the mouth of Loch Fyne is still the seat of the family of Lamond of that Ilk. Their original seat was Castle Toward; but Sir James Lamond having espoused the Royal cause, it was destroyed by the Marquis of Argyll.

Their genealogy, as given in ancient history, begins with Murdoch, son of Ferchar, who appears to have died without issue, and been succeeded by another son of Ferchar, named Duncan, who was the father of Malcolm, who was the father of Laumon, from whom came the surname of the clan.

A Duncan MacLamond, who appears to have been Laird of Lamond, was witness to a charter, granted by Duncan, Earl of Lennox, in the reign of Robert III; and in another charter granted by Stewart of Ardgowan at Dunoon in 1402, the names Celestine Lamont, son and heir of Robert Lamond, and also Christian Lamond, appear as witnesses (Robertson).

Another ancient family of the name were the Lamonds of Inverin; but this clan, like all the lesser ones, suffered so greatly by the grasping encroachments of the Campbells, that now but a portion of their ancient territory remains with the name.

Lady Jean Campbell, fourth daughter of the Earl of Argyll who fell at Flodden¹, became the wife of John Lamond of that Ilk.

James Lamond of that Ilk appears under date 1587 in the list of names of Highland chiefs laid before Parliament; and in 1639 his descendant, the Laird of Lamond, sat in Parliament as one of the Commissioners for Argyll-shire.

After the battle of Philiphaugh² the Lamonds, who had been out with Montrose, defended themselves in their chief's Castle of Toward for some time, but were compelled to yield eventually as prisoners of war to the Campbells, who put them all to the sword, together with a number of MacDougals and MacNeils, who defended themselves in the Castle of Dunavertie.

In 1685-86, the Laird of Lamond and Archibald Lamond of Silvercraig were Commissioners in Parliament at Edinburgh. The Lamonds of Willowfield and Silvercraig were branches of the original stock.

"Archibald, the late Laird of Lamond," says Buchanan of Auchmar, "married Margaret, daughter of Colonel Henry, by whom he had no issue; so the estate went to Dougal Lamond of Stinlaig, nearest heir male." They had five daughters, the eldest of whom was married to John Lamond of Kilfinnan, whose eldest son succeeded to the estate.

(End excerpt)

Next page: Clan Leslie

Footnotes:

¹ The Battle of Flodden (1513): The Battle of Flodden Field was fought on 9 September 1513, in Northumberland England between an army of Scots under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey. Read more about the Battle of Flodden at Wikipedia.

² The Battle of Philiphaugh (1645): The Battle of Philiphaugh was fought on 13 September 1645 near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders between the Royal army of James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose and the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie. Read more about the Battle of Philiphaugh at Wikipedia.